Wisconsin among 17 states suing over Obama immigration order

Republicans moved on two fronts to challenge President Barack Obamas' recently announced executive actions on immigration.

In Washington, immigration hardliners in Congress announced Wednesday they will oppose upcoming legislation to keep the government open. They demanded specific provisions to stop Obama's actions that granted a reprieve from deportation for millions.

And in Austin, Texas, state Attorney General (and governor-elect) Greg Abbott announced that the state is leading a 17-state coalition suing over the actions, arguing in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the move "tramples" key portions of the U.S. Constitution.

Wisconsin is one of the 17 states joining the suit, and Gov. Scott Walker requested Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to join the suit. Van Hollen complied, saying it's clear that Obama exceeded his authority. Walker said in a statement the immigration system is broken but should be addressed through collaborative federal action.

Many top Republicans have denounced Obama's unilateral move, which was designed to spare as many as 5 million people living illegally in the United States from deportation.

Under Obama's order, announced Nov. 20, protection from deportation and the right to work will be extended to an estimated 4.1 million parents of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and to hundreds of thousands more young people.